What makes a trend a staple? What happens to the avant garde looks from the runways? For instance, the flares from Prada Fall/Winter ’08 collection?Do they take to the streets of our major global fashion capitals? Do they trickle down to the lesser known mini-capitals, in places like Argentina, Sweden, or India? Or do these cities like Buenos Aires, Stockholm, and Mumbai operate mostly on their own terms? We set out to see whether these cities cling to that of our major fashion capitals, or arrive fashionably early to their own parties.
For this, we turned on our fashion super-sleuthing capabilities, and dove into our Travel Editor duties with zest. To do so, we hit the ground running in some of the world’s mini-fashion scenes. Beginning with Buenos Aires, or the “Paris” of South America. Argentinean women are notoriously beautiful, and svelte. Go figure, being the sister country to Brazilian-bred goddesses like Gisele, Adriana Lima- et cetera, et cetera. But what do these sexy women to the south wear to keep cool (and subsequently, hot)?
Buenos Aires celebrates fashion and the arts at the same time as the world’s heavy hitters, during the annual Buenos Aires Fashion Week (BAF) in the fall. Benito Fernandez is a long-time local favorite, and BAF showstopper of late (think Cavalli and Missoni combined, with a California-casual twist). One can not help but wonder the luck and love a Fernandez-wearing lady might incur in her whimsical, sexy frock while dancing the tango in this subtropical city.Tramando (photo above), by Martin Churba- is another name to watch. Noted as one of the country’s “most forward thinking and technically skilled designers,” by the JC Report, Tramando fuses detailed craftsmanship with a futuristic vision- and has been pushing the envelope for years. His 2009 show at BAF reportedly stole the stage, with a Carnaval-style runway. If Tramando were a band, it would be Animal Collective. Experimental, risqué and sensuous- with a mysterious allure.
Moving on to Stockholm, Sweden. Our own personal motherland. Origin of the lingonberry (try them on Swedish pancakes, stat), and the big box powerhouse wonderment know as Ikea. Home to “Acne,” a longtime favorite Swedish clothing line. With such an unfortunate name, it’s no wonder the designs are so compelling. Think an uber-casual take on Beyonce’s infamous Thierry Mugler dress or the Alexander McQueen exaggerated hip look of Spring/Summer ’09. Then, imagine it at a ready-to-wear level for a reasonable price. Sold? Finding that you are actually craving some Acne? Us too. The brand excels in the way of loose fitting jumpsuits and pants and using strict cuts. The minimalist palette makes for easy mixing and matching, with just the smallest hint of romance.
This year’s Fashion Week by Berns, kept the focus local. Berns strongly promotes global exposure for Scandinavian and Danish brands like Sofifi, House of Dagmar, Tiger of Sweden, and more. Tiger of Sweden’s Autumn/Winter ’09 line pays fantastic homage to the Parisian nightlife. The line highlight’s the French capital’s “love affair with Russian culture” while noting that the ever-chic Parisian pardigm is paradoxically shifting to everyday culture in Moscow. Sound trippy? It’s Marlene Dietrich (switch German heritage for Russian) meets Kate Moss meets an Olsen twin Check out these laidback luxurious designs, and indulge in the eccentricity of these incredibly delightful looks.
India is typically known for beautiful, colorful ethnic wear. Their gorgeous textiles are distributed all over the world, and displayed prominently at Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai. Abdul Halder is the name behind many of the late “King of Pop” Michael Jackson’s Indian Maharaja getups. Tarun Tahiliani is a much-celebrated designer, soon showing for the third time as the Lakme Grand Finale designer. Tahiliani looks to encapsulate the sinuous modern Indian woman using a free flowing vibe. His use of gorgeous draping fabrics celebrate the female form, while giving off a slight Grecian vibe (we can so picture Angelina Jolie in Tahiliani). These smaller dots on the fashion map all pay respect to the fashion Motherships. Hints of quirky Parisian intellect, London punky-rocker metallics, and black as reigning champ that New York is solely responsible for- are seen woven into the inspiration across the world. Mix it up with interesting amounts of local flavor, and you have beautiful international recipes for fashionistas in every city across the globe.
Abby Yemm is a freelance writer and the Managing Editor of www.ChicagoPicks.com
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